Golf club guide



I. 1. BAMBRICK /A ril 19, 1932.

GOLF CLUB GUIDE ak/5 M O/WMM Filed Feb. 15, I929 Patented Apr. 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE IRVING L. BAMBBICK, 01B BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS GOLF CLUB GUIDE Application filed February 13, 1929. Serial No. 339,849.

This invention relates to apparatus for guiding a golf player when swinging a golf club, an ObJGCt of the invention belng to provide a paratus which allows the greatest posl sible reedom of motion to the user, but at the same time effectively corrects many of the faults commonly committed by players. Among such faults is a tendency on the part of many to permitthe club to et too far out 1 during the downward part 0 a swing and also as the club is raised for the backward part of the swing. This fault usually arises from a failure to keep the hands and arms sufficiently close to the body. Another I fault tendency often observed is swaying,

that 18, moving the head and shoulders side ways as the club is raised prior to a stroke. To correct these and other tendencies, the nvention may be embodied in apparatus 111- .cluding a curved rail against the under edge of which the shaft of the club may slide from the beginning of a stroke until afterthe ball Y has been hit by the head of the club. In connection' with the guide rail I may also provide a suitably located neck-rest which is shaped to hinder motion of the head and shoulders in a direction against the travel of the ball, or in the case of right handed players toward the players right, but permits motion in the direction oftravel of the ball as the players body follows the club during the follow-through portion of the stroke.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide a paratus which is relatively simple, and w lab is readily adjustable for players of different sizes, or having different styles of swing, such as flat and u right swings, as well as straight and hook swings. Further advantageous features will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the disclosure of the invention in the description thereof which follows, and from the drawings of which,-

Figure 1 represents in perspective apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, a portion being broken away.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same. Figure 4 is a side elevation of a stop shown on a larger scale.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of a stop, the operative and inoperative positions thereof both being indicated.

Figure 6 shows in section a support for the neck-piece. 5

The apparatus comprises essentially a suitable rail 10 which may conveniently be shaped in a spiral curve as indicated in Figure 2, and is so supported in a slanting plane that the under edge is free throughout its entire extent, so that a player when standing below the plane of the curve with the exception of the head and shoulders, may swing a golf club with the shaft thereof in contact with the lower edge of the rail 10. This effectively prevents the common fault of permitting the club to swing away from the body, both while the club is being raised prior to a drive and also during the drive itself. To this endthe rail 10 may be supported by 'a number of brackets 11, 12 and 13 which may be fixed or adjustably secured thereto and which extend therefrom in a direction opposite to the guiding edgc'of the rail so as to leave the guiding edge entirely free. As shown in Figure 2, the brackets 11, 12 and 13 may be adjustably secured to a plate 14 by bolts and wing nuts 15 or by any other suitable device,-sothat the shape of the curve of the rail 10 may be altered to suit the requirements of players of different sizes. The brackets 12 and 13 may be adjustably secured as by bolts and wing nuts 16 to the rail 10 to permit such adjustment of the shape of said' rail 10, the material of the rail being sufliciently flexible for this purpose. The rail 10 may be curved in such a way as to lie substantially in a single plane, but I do not limit myself to a plane curve,'as portions of the rail may be bent if desired out of the general plane of the curve. The bracket 13 may be hinged as at 50, if (le sired, to permit a slight amount of yielding outwardly by the lower portion of the guide rail 10. This gives the player a feeling of freedom when addressing the ball and does not impair the guiding function of the rail since the outward pressure of the club during that portion of a swing is negligible.

As shown in Figure 3 the degree of slant of the plane-of the curve may be adjusted as desired by a ball and socket joint 17 or by any other equivalent device. This also permits adjustment of the rail on a perpendicular axis for a straight swing or a hook swing. 5 As shown, the ball and socket joint 17 is secured to the end of a single horizontally extending arm 18 which may be adjustably attached to any upright standard, wall or equivalent. As shown the arm 18 has a portion 19 extending downwardly and entering a suitable base 20 in which it is adjustably secured by any suitable means so that the height of the rail 10, as a whole, may be altered as desired. To facilitate vertical adjustment of the guide, I may attach to the lower end of the upright 19 a steel tape 40, the opposite end being attached to a Windlass drum 41. The:

drum may be operated as by a handle 42, a ratchet 43 and pawl being provided to retain the apparatus at any desired elevation. At

the upper end of the rail 10 I secure a neckpiece 21. This may be secured directly to the end of the rail 10 as shown, or may be otherwise supported in a definite position relative to the rail. The neck-piece 21 is provided with a curved end portion 22, the object of which is to hinder swaying, that is, motion of the head and shoulders away from the direction of travel of the ball, this being a common fault. The neck-piece, however, does not hinder follow-through motion of the head and shoulders in the direction of travel of the ball, this motion being proper after the ball has been hit. The neck-piece 21 may be rigidly secured to the rail 10 or may be permitted to yield a short distance. For this purpose the neck-piece may be secured to a short sleeve 45 which is slotted to receive a pin 46. A spring 47 may be arranged to press the neck-piece downwardly away from the end of the rail 10.

In order to regulate the proper point at which a. swing should begin, I may provide a plurality of stops mounted on the rail, these stops being selectively usable to indicate how far the club should be raised for a full swing,

a three-quarter swing and a half swing. A

stop for the full swing is indicated as 23 and is preferably located at asuitable position near the neck-piece 21. At other points on the rail 10 I may mount additional stops 24 and 25, these being preferably constructed so as to be readily moved from their operative positions to inoperative positions. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, these stops may each comprise a metal strip 26 having a portion normally parallel to the guiding edge of the rail 10 and an outwardly bent lip 27 to guide the club between the strip 26 and the rail 10. 1A portion of the strip 26 may be bent inwardly toward the rail as at 28 to engage the club and to stop it at the proper point. as shown is attached to or, integral with a plate 29 which extends at right angles thereto and acts as a spacing support, this plate being The strip 26 hinged as at to another hinge member 31 which is secured to the rail 10. By means of the hinge 30 the stop may be swung upwardly out of operative position, leaving the guiding edge of the rail 10 free. This inoperative 7 position is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5.

In us'ng the apparatus the player stands as indi ated in Figure 1, the height and slant of thj) rail 10 being so adjusted that the 7 playe, s head and shoulders project through the general plane of the curve. A ball is placed on the ground at the proper distance in front of the player. After addressing the ball with the club, the player may raise the 80 club in the ordinary manner until the shaft touches one of the stops. Since the natural tendency of a player is to swing the club away from the body, the shaft of the club will ordinarily ride on the guiding edge of the rail 10 as the club is raised for the stroke. The club is then swung in the usual manner, the shaft thereof being in contact with the guiding edge of the rail throughout most of the swing and until after the head of the club has struck the ball. The apparatus permits a maximum freedom of motion on the part of the player and a minimum of restraints, but at the same time it effectively prevents many of the faults which are commonly observed in golf players. I have thus provided an extremely simple but effective device which is readily adjustable to the needs of any individual player.

I claim 1. A golf club guide comprising a curved rail, means for supporting said rail in a slanting plane so as to leave the edge of said rail which isftoward the player free, said supporting means being adjustable to alter the curvature of the rail and the height thereof, and a neck-piece attached to one end of said rail.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a guide rail fora golf club arranged in a slanting plane, and a support for said rail, said support including a plate spaced upwardly from the plane of said rail and a plurality of arms secured at one end to said rail and at the other end to said plate.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a guide rail for a golf club in the form of a curve lying approximately in a slanting plane, and supporting means extending upwardly from said rail whereby the under edge of the rail is free throughout its entire extent for contact with the shaft of a golf club.

4:. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a guide rail for a golf club in the form of a curve lying approximately in a slanting plane, means for supporting said rail entirely from above said plane whereby the under edge of said rail is free, and a neck-rest mounted in a definite position relative to said rail. 9

5. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a guide rail for a golf club in the form of a curve supported in a slanting plane with its under edge free, and a neck-rest secured to one end of said rail.

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a guide rail for a golf club in the orm of a curve supported in a slanting plane With its under edge free, and a stop mounted on said rail, said stop being movable from and In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

IRVING LEO BAMBRIGK. 

